Emevas and TeM - thank you. I included the fact that I have not at all focused on my back as I had assumed all this while that the incidental workout that area got from the other exercises I did (cable rows, deadlifts, squats, some lat work, arms and chest exercises etc.) would have been sufficient.

TeM - will continue with the bench press and look into what the Bradford press is. I'll also get more consistent with the overhead press stuff/do my research.

Emevas - I did single arm DB push presses (plyo style) and ended up injuring my shoulder somewhere during that 8 week cycle last year. Even today when I do regular DB press I tend to find the right shoulder fatigues much faster and if I push through that the twinges of pain come back followed later (as I continue) with slight numbness down my arm/fingers and more pain in the shoulder.

H to the Izzo - I have excellent posture but there's no doing much about the fact that my shoulders on each side are about 5 inches in width, pretty crap. I'm very happy with my flexibility but don't have the strength/muscle behind my shoulders to back that up when it comes to having the weight of another person on me.

Thanks everyone, can always count on you guys.

"I'm reluctant to sound like a total fa66ot as well, but my background in sculpture gave me an edge in understanding how we're expected to move thru space." - The Other Other Serge

I personally never thought of dumbbell shoulder press as being particularly dangerous. I wouldn't want to drop a dumbbell on my toe if I were doing them standing up, but that's about it.

Why's that?

Because that's what I want to focus on. ?!
The thought of losing it when my arms are fully extended and the weights forcing them straight back is what I am worried about. It might never happen , but I am betting it would really **** my arms up and even if I dropped the dumbbells they would still pull my arms back hard enough to tear something.
I am trying to get some of my lazy ass friends to come to the gym with me, but so far all talk and no walk.
Today I tried sideways dumbbell presses (?) to work triceps and delts and they felt good. I am going to add them to my workout.

Last edited by OZZ; 12/29/2008 9:41pm at .

" If one wants to have a friend one must also want to wage war for him: and to wage war one must be capable of being an enemy." - Fr. Nietzsche 'On The Friend' Thus Spake Zarathustra

I have danger with the DB press just because my right shoulder likes to dislocate at bad times.

I'm kinda the same boat. I've found barbells to be safer for me than dumbbells because the crappyness of my shoulders. Surprisingly, behind-the-neck, both full ROM or just below the top of my head have reduced the pain on my shoulders (specially the left one.)

One way in which I've found dumbbell presses to work for me is by looping a resistance band around my wrists while holding the dumbbells with a neutral grip.

Pulling the hands away against the resistance band gives a stability of sorts. The pulling also engages my posterior delts, rhomboids and the external rotators, and the neutral grip works well with my screwed up shoulders. The neutral grip is what works for me the most (which makes me wish I had a log for pressing.)

Also, the effort of pulling against the band while pressing forces me to use lighter dumbbells. Still, at least for me, it feels this way works better for the lateral and posterior deltoids.

-- edit --

For Lily, a #1 resistance band like the one I'm using might be too much. Cheaper and lighter resistance bands (like the ones one can find in a sporting goods store) might be a better alternative, should she wish to try this out.

The street argument is retarded. BJJ is so much overkill for the street that its ridiculous. Unless you're the idiot that picks a fight with the high school wrestling team, barring knife or gun play, the opponent shouldn't make it past double leg + ground and pound - Osiris

Edit: More specifically (and hopefully less vague), chest/back/shoulders would exclude arms, core, and legs. Have you identified an imbalance that you're hoping to address?

Edit #2:

Originally Posted by Ghost of Christmas Past

The thought of losing it when my arms are fully extended and the weights forcing them straight back is what I am worried about. It might never happen , but I am betting it would really **** my arms up and even if I dropped the dumbbells they would still pull my arms back hard enough to tear something.

This is a reasonable concern, particularly with a history of shoulder problems.
Risk mitigations:
-not "locking out" at the top (so you can lower the weight if you start to lose control)
-keeping the weight slightly further forward than center
-I haven't tried it myself, but if you press with one arm (and only hold one dumbbell) at a time, you'd have the other hand free to help out in an emergency
The alternative, as mentioned by Emevas, is using a barbell with safety bars.

Arnold presses, I've integrated them in as another way to shock the muscles, and one of the things I noticed is that they hit the rotator cuff pretty well. My suggestion Lily is not to worry about weight, but the mind/muscle connection. Get every single rep with perfect form. Strengthen the whole shoulder gridle.

Originally Posted by Sifu Rudy Abel

"Just what makes a pure grappler think he can survive with an experienced striker. Especially if that striker isn't following any particular rule set and is well aware of what the grapplers strategies are".